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Memories of Small Town Life & KFC

Do you have a particular food that makes you hungry every time the scent hits your nose? Does that smell take you back to your childhood and remind you of how awesome it was to be a kid? We all do.

For me, one such smell that whisks me back to a time when life was simple has to be the smell of KFC.

Why KFC, you ask? Because I grew up in a very small town. Corunna, Ontario to be exact. Short of local pizza places, KFC was the only real restaurant in town. Its smell was always wafting down the main drag, known as Lyndoch Street.

There were no McDonald’s Restaurants or even other chains like Ponderosa or Casey’s in Corunna. For those, you had to make the 20 minute drive into Sarnia, so they were very special treats.

Corunna was all about KFC. The chicken, fries and even the green coleslaw. For me, KFC meant summer. It meant a hot evening where it stayed light out until 9pm. It meant eating with your hands. It meant being a kid.

It’s funny that I remember the smell over the taste because as many will agree, KFC tastes amazing. It’s total comfort food that makes any adult feel like a kid. Eating out of a bucket never gets old.

Now that I am an adult, and am starting to introduce treat dinners like KFC to my kids, it’s awesome to learn the history of how KFC makes the chicken they are so well known for.

I am not talking about the 11 herbs and spices, because that’s top secret. I’m talking about the actual chicken.

It comes right from local farms and is never frozen. Having grown up in Corunna, I know all about the importance of local farms, as they were everywhere once you drove 25 minutes outside of town. Produce, meats and dairy all come from these farms and I don’t think farmers get the credit they deserve.

When I was a kid, there was no Internet and not much attention was paid to where food came from. But in all my recent work with KFC, it has been pretty clear that the real, Canadian, farm-raised, chicken part of the process has always been true.

The same chicken my mom would have bought from the grocery store was down at the local KFC that smelled so good on a hot summer night. The same chicken that made life amazing as a kid, is now the same chicken I am serving my kids. They are now experiencing the treat of having a big bucket of KFC is.

Nothing like a treat that is actually quality food. It’s a win, win.

A few weeks ago when we had a family bucket, it definitely took me back to when I was a kid. The unique taste of KFC fries, the crunch of the chicken, and yes, even the bright green coleslaw. My wife loves the coleslaw, so no food was left behind.

Being able to get takeout food or go to a restaurant with your family is a special treat that I know is a big deal in our house and many other households out there.

Like I said, it makes me feel like a kid again and I think that is part of the charm of what KFC has spent decades building. Fresh food, never wavering from their recipes and of course, the magic of that bucket with the Colonial’s face on it.

So now, let me ask you again. What food memory do you have that takes you back to your childhood? Can’t think of it because you are ordering a bucket of KFC chicken? That’s okay. Enjoy and let me know how it was.

Oh, and for the historians in the bunch, the KFC in Corunna is still there. It looks much more modern and shares space with another chain that will remain nameless, but the location will always live in my memory.

To learn more about #KFCisforChicken, do read their stories, learn about the process and take a moment to appreciate the dedicated work our farmers put in every day.

Just like the chicken, my opinions are also real. Yes, I was compensated for my work with KFC, but my words are my words.